The present invention relates to a new and improved muzzle for domestic animals and, in particular, to a muzzle suitable for use with cats or dogs. More specifically, the present invention relates to a cat or dog muzzle that will facilitate treatment of the animals by a veterinarian by reducing the danger of the veterinarian being bitten by the animal.
Dog and cat muzzles for facilitating treatment of animals by a veterinarian are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,086 discloses an animal muzzle for animals undergoing veterinarian treatment. The muzzle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,086 is formed as a truncated cone mask made of a soft material such as vinyl or leather and is secured on the head of an animal by strap means encircling the animal's head and consisting of two strap portions secured to each other by a buckle. The mask has a small snout opening dimensioned to encircle the mouth and the nose of an animal, while allowing the animal to breathe freely, and a large opposite opening at the end remote from the snout opening. The strap portions are secured at the opposite sides of the mask. The muzzle disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,086, while insuring effective restraint of the jaw of the animal and, thus, effectively protecting a veterinarian from being bitten by the animal, does not permit the veterinarian to easily handle the animal's head.